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CCW and blending in

We rarely go to the movies, but my son loves Star Wars, and after he saw the new movie and told me the blonde from Game of Thrones was in it... I decided to go.

As we are approaching the outside ticket area an interesting thing happened, may be/should be a lesson to those that CCW a lot.

No one else is around the outside ticketing area as we walk up, except this tall white guy with a short Asian lady (assuming his wife). Dude is wearing this BRIGHT Hawaiin (sp) shirt un tucked and has a very obvious very large frame pistol bulging out ("printing") the side of the shirt.

Dude gets perceptibly nervous as we get up near the windows, even though we give them a ton of space. Evidently the wife has her head way up her butt and is fiddling around with stuff, he's hurrying her up while almost dancing around moving his body trying to hide the CCW. We go to another window that opens up, pay and get our tickets while dude's wife is still messing around buying their two tickets. He's acting way too nervous, too uncomfortable with the CCW, his body language and his mannerisms are screaming that. No subtly there!

She finally finishes and he's already at the door holding the door, so he holds the door for us in a manner that further shows the print of the pistol, then realizes it and changes so it doesn't. I just make eye contact with him and nod my head towards the weapon, I.e, "I get it" in case he's trying to posture for some damn reason. He isn't, he's just a dunskie and upon seeing the nod and realizing he is clearly made acts a little more nervous- oops, not what I intended.

We go ahead of him (he held the door and his wife was at this point on her phone while he was waiting at the door) and go in. I glance at my wife, "what do you think?" She replies just a dunskie and I agree but we make sure he isn't going in the same movie we are.

At the concessions stand, an older guy with a Vietnam Vet hat on comes up behind us in line, smiles all calm as can be. I notice the hat, smile back and say a low "Thank you sir" upon seeing it. A second later I notice the open carry pistol he has on his side.

One guy was very calm and therefore much more subtle, probably had been there and done that. One guy was jumpy, obvious to the point of embarrassment. Vet was dressed normally for our area. CCW dude with the bright shirt would have been out of place in a crowd of 200 in that area- even if he had calmed down.

As we waited for the previews, I thought about why bright shirt guy was so trippy.

I tend to "walk with purpose" and if I'm going somewhere I want to get there, but I left him plenty of space- probably 20 feet- wherein I've had people stand on my heels at that same spot before. Maybe I looked like a thug? Well I did have a conservatively dressed woman and male with me, so that might not be it. Wife said "you look like a cop so that's what probably made him nervous." Perhaps that's it. But if dude was legal, that shouldn't have mattered.

I think there are some lessons there for those CCW'ing-

1. Calm the frick down! Dude was way too amped, obvious as hell. Yes space, yes situational awareness blah blah blah, but you can do that stuff calmly without looking like a freakazoid. Dude looked like a freakazoid.... But you know what, he was your typical "gun guy"- obvious as hell he didn't train regularly or he would have been way more calm about having a weapon.

2. Get your wife on board. Talking about it later in the theater, my wife said "his wife had her head up her butt, I wonder if she even knew he was carrying?" I said I wonder if she CARED. When the door is 5 feet from the ticket window and you have to get on your phone immediately after paying (dragging that out too much as well).

3. Some simple code word for noticing someone is armed in public. I picked it up before my wife did, dude's crazy mannerisms brought her attention to it. My son missed most of the cues.
Something simple- "Hey did I tell you guys I saw Aunt Cary the other day?" If the person wasn't within ear shot you could identify them by the color of their shirt jacket- "Yeah Aunt Cary was wearing a pretty green dress when I saw her."

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"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed..."

I pay attention to what people are doing and how they are acting (nervous and a little spastic red-flags me), but have to admit I don't pay attention to their waistband area to see if they're carrying. I'm always carrying (sometimes CCW purse style and sometimes IWB depending on what I'm wearing), other than in the standard no-carry zones, like the post office, courthouse, etc. My husband knows I always carry and he would be really shocked if I wasn't. Maybe I will make this a new game to play when I go out in public, just to see. Since I try to avoid no-carry zones, it could be fun to see who's just like me...

I tend to notice stuff.
Guys wearing to big of a shirt when they shouldn't. Certain clothing styles,foot ware etc
How they stand,walk. Do they guard one side or hide one side.

Lol you look like a cop.
Were you wearing the "uniform" ... I could understand that. But that shouldn't have a guy on edge.
Unless he just has an anxiety issue.
I get a trad more aware in places like theaters, sports events etc. But not shake like a leaf about to jump. But some do...